- California Healthline Original Stories 1
- Defendants In Diapers? Immigrant Toddlers Ordered To Appear In Court Alone
- Courts 1
- Supreme Court Decision On Mandatory Agency Fees Could Take Politically Powerful Unions Out At The Knees
- Sacramento Watch 2
- In Face Of Growing Soda Tax Movement, California Law May Pre-Empt More Measures
- $3M In Funding For Valley Fever Research Makes It Into Brown's Budget
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Defendants In Diapers? Immigrant Toddlers Ordered To Appear In Court Alone
Children who have been separated from their parents at the border, some as young as 3, are being ordered to appear for their own deportation proceedings, attorneys say. One legal advocate in Los Angeles described a scene in which a 3-year-old who'd received an order to appear started climbing up on the table during the proceeding, highlighting "the absurdity of what we're doing with these kids." (Christina Jewett and Shefali Luthra, )
More News From Across The State
The Supreme Court has barred public-employee contracts requiring workers to pay union dues, which can be used to support collective bargaining activities and other efforts including legislative advocacy, grievances and worker safety programs. The decision will ripple across the health industry in part because many workers in the field are part of unions. But another reason is that the organizations are often vocal supporters of health programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Modern Healthcare:
Supreme Court Ruling On Union Fees Could Shift Healthcare Politics
American political dynamics around healthcare and other issues could be changed by a U.S. Supreme Court decision Wednesday that significantly weakens public-sector labor unions. In a ruling with major ramifications for healthcare organizations, a bitterly split high court ruled that public-sector unions cannot collect mandatory service fees from members for representing them in contract negotiations. (Meyer, 6/27)
The New York Times:
Labor Unions Will Be Smaller After Supreme Court Decision, But Maybe Not Weaker
With the Supreme Court striking down laws that require government workers to pay union fees, one thing is clear: Most public-sector unions in more than 20 states with such laws are going to get smaller and poorer in the coming years. Though it is difficult to predict with precision, experts and union officials say they could lose 10 percent to one-third of their members, or more, in the states affected, as conservative groups seek to persuade workers to drop out. (Scheiber, 6/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Supreme Court Deals Blow To Public-Sector Unions
The 5-4 vote, along conservative-liberal lines, on Wednesday overruled a 1977 precedent that had fueled the growth of public-sector unionization even as representation has withered in private industry. More than one-third of public employees are unionized, compared with just 6.5% of those in the private sector, according to a January report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The impact of the ruling is likely to stretch far beyond the workplace, sapping resources from unions such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the National Education Association that have provided funds, resources and activists largely in support of Democratic candidates. (Bravin, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
California's Politically Powerful Labor Unions Have Been Preparing For This Supreme Court Ruling For A Long Time
California’s public employee unions, for decades some of the state’s towering political giants, knew this day was coming. Now, after a majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the legality of the fees charged to nonmember workers — sometimes totaling hundreds of dollars a year — union leaders are relying on plans they’ve been carefully crafting for more than five years. “No one is trying to pretend that it’s not a hit,” said Alma Hernandez, the executive director of the Service Employees International Union’s California state council. “But I think that the work that our locals have done across the state will help us maintain a majority of our members in the union.” (Myers, 6/27)
And in other news —
The Associated Press:
Abortion-Rights Bloc To Fight After Pregnancy Center Ruling
In effectively knocking down a California law aimed at regulating anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a blow to abortion-rights supporters who saw the law as a crucial step toward beating back the national movement against the procedure. Democratic-led California became the first state in 2016 to require the centers to provide information about access to birth control and abortion, and it came as Republican-led states ramped up their efforts to thwart abortion rights. (Ronayne, 6/27)
In Face Of Growing Soda Tax Movement, California Law May Pre-Empt More Measures
The beverage industry went to lawmakers in Sacramento with a proposal: Pass a bill banning soda and food taxes, and the industry would drop its November ballot initiative that would prevent local communities from raising taxes without approval from two-thirds of voters or an elected body. “They sent us a ransom note that they will drop this horrible ballot measure if we put a 12-year moratorium on local soda taxes,” said Scott Wiener, a state senator who represents San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County.
The New York Times:
California Banning Soda Taxes? A New Industry Strategy Is Stunning Some Lawmakers
For years, the soda industry had an ironclad strategy when a city wanted to enact a soda tax: Spend a lot of money, rally local businesses, and shoot it down. That strategy worked again and again, until it didn’t. In 2014, Berkeley, Calif., passed the nation’s first tax on sugary drinks, which have been linked to heart disease, obesity and tooth decay. Two years later, six communities, including three more cities in California, enacted similar bills. (O'Connor and Sanger-Katz, 6/27)
Capital Public Radio:
Soda Industry Effort To Raise Hurdle For Local Tax Increases Qualifies For California Ballot
An initiative that would make it harder for the state and local governments to raise taxes has qualified for California’s November ballot. ... The proposal would raise the threshold to approve general purpose local sales tax increases and extensions from a majority of voters to two-thirds. And it would make more state revenue increases subject to a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. (Adler, 6/27)
$3M In Funding For Valley Fever Research Makes It Into Brown's Budget
"After decades of caring for valley fever patients, the Valley Fever Institute will now have the funding needed to proactively expand our efforts and aggressively tackle ways to better treat, prevent and cure valley fever," said Russell Judd, CEO of Kern Medical Center.
The Bakersfield Californian:
Governor Approves $3M For Valley Fever Research In Kern County
A request for $3 million in funding for valley fever research was approved by Gov. Jerry Brown this week. The governor signed into law a request by Sen. Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, for money for research at the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center. The money will be used to expand research and treatment at the institute as well as increase the number of patients who can receive treatment. (6/27)
23 ABC News Bakersfield:
$3 Million For Valley Fever Research Signed Into Law
"This has been a long, dramatic fight to get this funding to where it is needed most and where it will be most effective," said Senator Fuller. "The Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Center is well-positioned to make the most of this investment, and provide the most direct care to patients who are fighting this devastating disease." (6/27)
Instead of trying to get people to conform to an appointment-based treatment plan, doctors and other health professionals go to them.
The California Health Report:
San Francisco Takes Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder To The Streets
San Francisco’s street medicine team brings doctors and other health professionals directly to people living on the streets to hear their stories and earn their trust. They provide as many services as the person will accept, from housing and food to medication and medical treatment, including addiction treatment. Recently the city announced a $6 million investment to expand a yearlong pilot program that connected close to 100 people who are homeless and dealing with heroin and opioid addiction with ‘low barrier” access to buprenorphine, a drug that is often very effective as a treatment for opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine (brand names Subutex or Suboxone) is a daily pill, or strip that dissolves in the mouth, that reduces the cravings for opioids and the intense physical pain of withdrawal. (Kritz, 6/28)
In other news from across the state —
Capital Public Radio:
Mobile Health Services Help Sacramento’s Homeless Women
It’s a mobile clinic run by Elica Health Centers, a Sacramento nonprofit that brings health services to homeless people. This population often has trouble getting medical care, because they can’t find transportation, or don’t want to be separated from their pets. (Caiola, 6/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Cheap Cannabis Products Available Before New California Rules Kick In
A bonanza of cheap marijuana is flooding the market this week as growers, manufacturers and retailers unload excess cannabis in preparation for the enforcement of strict testing and packaging regulations that are sure to further shake up California’s budding industry. The regulations took effect Jan. 1, but the state suspended enforcement during the first six months to give the industry time to prepare. (Fimrite, 6/27)
Desert Healthcare Moves Away From At-Large Elections, Adopts District Map
The map was approved with little debate. The board had been considering the switch since 2016, and Desert Healthcare District CEO Herb K. Schultz said he was hopeful the move to district elections would spur residents to be more involved with the district.
The Desert Sun:
Desert Healthcare District Adopts Map For By District Elections
The Desert Healthcare District has moved away from at-large elections and adopted a district map that will determine how residents of the special district will select their representatives in the future. The board of directors voted on Tuesday to adopt the “Orange 2” map, a move that splits the district, which stretches from Desert Hot Springs to Palm Desert, into five zones. Voters in zone two (labeled A on the map), which encompasses Desert Hot Springs, Garnet and most of Desert Edge, and zone 4 (labeled D), which includes almost all of Cathedral City, will be the first to elect district representatives this November. Residents of zones one, three and five (C, E and B on the map, respectively) will vote by district starting in 2020. (Kennedy and Maschke, 6/27)
In other news —
Sacramento Bee:
Grief, Thanksgiving, Prayer, Mindfulness: This Sutter Space Is Designed For It All
Leaders of Sacramento's Sutter Medical Center will dedicate their new chapel on Thursday, adding a space that chaplains said they hope will be valued as a space for renewal and contemplation for employees, patients and their loved ones. (Anderson, 6/27)
With Kennedy's Retirement, Abortion Rights Advocates Worry About Losing 'Firewall' To Roe V. Wade
Justice Anthony Kennedy's announcement that he's stepping down from the bench yanks the abortion fight right into the spotlight. It's likely that President Donald Trump will fulfill his campaign promise and nominate a judge who will support overturning Roe v. Wade, setting up a hot political fight right before the midterm elections. Democrats alone cannot derail any nomination, so strategists are eyeing Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Republicans who favor abortion rights.
The New York Times:
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Will Retire
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced on Wednesday that he would retire this summer, setting in motion a furious fight over the future of the Supreme Court and giving President Trump the chance to put a conservative stamp on the American legal system for generations. (Shear, 6/27)
The New York Times:
Departure Of Kennedy, ‘Firewall For Abortion Rights,’ Imperils Roe V. Wade
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s decision to retire, giving President Trump another opportunity to carry out his vow to select Supreme Court nominees who would “automatically” overturn Roe v. Wade, threatens to imperil the 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to have an abortion. The move also promised to reshuffle the landscape for reproductive rights in the United States, setting the stage for a bitter political and legal struggle that could affect generations of women. (Hirschfeld Davis, 6/27)
The Hill:
Anti-Abortion Groups See Opening To Overturn Roe V. Wade With Kennedy Retirement
Anti-abortion groups see the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kenned, announced Wednesday, as their best shot in decades to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide. “Justice Kennedy’s retirement from the Supreme Court marks a pivotal moment for the fight to ensure every unborn child is welcomed and protected under the law,” said Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser. (Hellmann, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Both Sides Mobilize For A Senate 'Battle Of The Ages' Focused On One Issue — Abortion
For decades Republicans succeeded where Democrats have failed, in making court nominations a motivating force at election time — turning out religious conservatives with the promise that Republican candidates would support Supreme Court justices opposed to Roe vs. Wade, the decision that guaranteed a nationwide right to abortion. Now, with Trump poised to tip the Supreme Court’s balance decidedly rightward, Democrats’ hope lies in shaking their own voters’ complacency about that 45-year-old ruling. Democratic strategists hope that the pressure to oppose Trump’s nominee over that issue will not only keep the Democratic senators facing reelection in pro-Trump states in the party fold, but also could persuade the two Republican senators who favor abortion rights, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. (Calmes, 6/27)
Politico:
It’s Not Just Abortion: 5 Issues Likely To Be Affected By Kennedy’s Exit
If the court picks up a new vote hostile to abortion rights, Roe probably won’t be overturned right away, but the court could be given an opportunity to consider a reversal within years. Kennedy’s exit also seems certain to accelerate the erosion of access to abortion by blessing a series of state laws limiting when and where women can terminate a pregnancy. Major changes could also be coming in other areas where Kennedy, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, has been counted as a crucial vote on the court, including affirmative action, gay rights, voting rights and the application of the death penalty to minors and the intellectually disabled. (Gerstein and Haberkorn, 6/27)
Sacramento Bee:
Abortion, Gay Rights Threatened By Anthony Kennedy Loss
Reaction from groups supporting abortion rights and gay rights was swift following the announcement that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is stepping down, giving President Donald Trump a chance to name his replacement. We compiled their responses. (Chen and Cadei, 6/27)
The New York Times:
Kennedy Retirement Injects An Inflammatory New Issue Into Midterms
With the Republican majority already on a 51-49 knife’s edge, senators and strategists from both parties said the clash over the balance of the Supreme Court would immediately overwhelm a campaign that to date had largely revolved around President Trump’s conduct and issues surrounding the economy, immigration and health care. The summer and fall will be consumed by the fight over Mr. Trump’s proposed replacement, and inject a new set of high-stakes issues into the campaign, primarily the prospect of overturning Roe v. Wade, as well as gay rights, voting rights and the rights of workers. (Martin, Peters and Dias, 6/27)
The Associated Press:
Battle Lines Already Being Drawn On Kennedy's Successor
All sides quickly mobilized Wednesday after Kennedy — a singular voice on the court whose votes have decided issues on abortion, affirmative action, gay rights, guns, campaign finance and voting rights — sent shockwaves through Washington by announcing his retirement plans. Trump said he would start the effort to replace Kennedy "immediately" and would pick from a list of 25 names that he updated last year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared that the Senate "will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy's successor this fall." (6/28)
The Washington Post:
Republicans Plan To Confirm Trump’s Supreme Court Pick Before The November Elections
Trump praised Kennedy as having been a “great justice” and added, “Hopefully we will pick someone who is just as outstanding.” The president said he would select a nominee from a list he released during the campaign to assuage the concerns of conservatives skeptical over whom he would pick for the court. “We have to pick a great one. We have to pick one that’s going to be there for 40 years, 45 years,” Trump said at a campaign rally Wednesday night in Fargo, N.D. “We need intellect. We need so many things.” (Kim and Dawsey, 6/27)
Politico:
Who's On Trump's Short List To Replace Supreme Court Justice Kennedy?
Here is a look at the 25 people Trump has said he will choose from. (Nussbaum and Gerstein, 6/27)
Reuters:
Schumer Urges Senate To Reject Supreme Court Nominee Who Opposes Roe V. Wade
U.S. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer said on Wednesday the Senate should reject any Supreme Court nominee put forth by President Donald Trump who would vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion decision or "undermine" healthcare protections. (Cowan, 6/27)
The Washington Post:
‘A Shot Of Adrenaline’: Both Parties Use Supreme Court Vacancy As A Rallying Cry
The fight over President Trump’s intention to replace retiring Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the Supreme Court’s crucial swing vote, with a reliable conservative immediately became a rallying cry for base voters of both political parties ahead of this fall’s midterm elections. The already-ferocious nomination battle is likely to clarify the choices for voters in Senate races across the country, strategists said, and affect other contests down the ballot. And even if Republicans install a replacement for Kennedy before the November election, the debate is still likely to thrust to the forefront issues that have been largely overlooked on the campaign trail until now. (Rucker and Gearan, 6/27)
The Associated Press:
Kennedy Retirement Guaranteed To Ratchet Up Midterm Rhetoric
It was a dramatic shift for Democrats who had been optimistic about seizing the House majority, if not the Senate. Some of the most dejected responded on social media with obscenities. Others teased a political strategy by warning of severe consequences for health care and abortion rights should Trump have his way. But for Republicans who have feared a massive enthusiasm advantage for Democrats, the sudden vacancy that could shape the court's direction for a generation was nothing short of a gift from the political gods. In addition to a massive dose of energy, the Supreme Court fight is expected to trigger a flood of new campaign cash that will strengthen the GOP's midterm efforts. (6/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
Justice Kennedy’s Biggest Moments
He was often a sought-after vote for both liberal and conservative sides and played a pivotal role in some of the court’s most closely watched cases. Here are a few of Justice Kennedy’s blockbusters. ... The court reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade granting women the constitutional right to abortions. Justice Kennedy co-authored the court’s opinion along with Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and David Souter. “Abortion is a unique act. It is an act fraught with consequences for others: for the woman who must live with the implications of her decision; for the persons who perform and assist in the procedure; for the spouse, family, and society which must confront the knowledge that these procedures exist, procedures some deem nothing short of an act of violence against innocent human life; and, depending on one’s beliefs, for the life or potential life that is aborted. Though abortion is conduct, it does not follow that the State is entitled to proscribe it in all instances. That is because the liberty of the woman is at stake in a sense unique to the human condition, and so, unique to the law.” (Palazzolo, 6/28)
HHS Inspector General To Investigate Safety And Health Protections In Shelters For Migrant Children
GAO will also launch an investigation into the way HHS tracked minors in the system. HHS and DHS have been widely criticized for a seemingly haphazard approach to family separations. In other news: a look at how separations affect children's well-being, a judge's ruling on reunification, toddlers in court by themselves, and more.
Politico:
Federal Officials Launch Two Reviews Into Trump’s Handling Of Migrant Children
The GAO and the Health and Human Services inspector general both launched reviews Wednesday into the Trump administration's handling of thousands of migrant children separated from their families at the border. The GAO told Rep. Frank Pallone (N.J.) that it will audit the systems and processes used to track families as they were separated, including how the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement monitored each minor in its care, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO. (Diamond, 6/27)
The Associated Press:
Science Says: How Family Separation May Affect Kids' Brains
Doctors have long known that separating families and other traumatic events can damage children's well-being. More recent research has shed light on how that may happen. Severe early adversity may cause brain changes and "toxic stress." Persistent elevated stress hormones and inflammation may result in lasting health problems. (6/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Judge's Ruling On Migrant Children In Custody Gives Families Few Answers
Activists went without food near the border in Texas, protesters banged pots outside an immigration agency office in Washington, and Congress prepared to go on break after rejecting a potential fix as the saga of migrant children in federal custody dragged on Wednesday for another day without resolution. A day after a federal judge in San Diego ordered the Trump administration to reunite 2,042 migrant children taken from their parents and put into detention facilities at the border, no plan for bringing the families back together had emerged and the administration still had a chance to appeal the ruling. (Ulloa, Wire and Fawcett, 6/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Separations Of Migrant Families Stopped A Week Ago, But Reunifications Have Barely Begun
A week after President Donald Trump halted the separation of families who crossed into the U.S. illegally, the process of reuniting the more than 2,000 children in custody with their parents has proved challenging. The Department of Health and Human Services has the whereabouts of all the children in its care, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement has the information about the parents, but the two government departments are still trying to link the two, according to Jonathan White, from the office of the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS. (Campo-Flores and Radnofsky, 6/27)
California Healthline:
Defendants In Diapers? Immigrant Toddlers Ordered To Appear In Court Alone
As the White House faces court orders to reunite families separated at the border, immigrant children as young as 3 are being ordered into court for their own deportation proceedings, according to attorneys in Texas, California and Washington, D.C. Requiring unaccompanied minors to go through deportation alone is not a new practice. But in the wake of the Trump administration’s controversial family separation policy, more young children — including toddlers — are being affected than in the past. (Jewett and Luthra, 6/27)
VA Nominee Vows To Oppose Privatization, Tackle Long Wait Times
Robert Wilkie, President Donald Trump's current pick to lead the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs, pledged to "shake up complacency" at the agency during his Senate hearing. He is expected to be confirmed with little opposition from Democrats.
The Associated Press:
Trump's Pick To Head VA: Time To 'Shake Up' Department
President Donald Trump's pick to lead Veterans Affairs promised Wednesday to "shake up complacency" at the struggling department by expanding private care to better meet the growing health needs of veterans, but he rejected a wholesale dismantling of VA. Robert Wilkie, currently serving as a Pentagon undersecretary, stressed the VA must work faster and better to address a rapidly growing population of veterans. He said he will not tolerate continued problems of long waits and bureaucratic delays and will strive to quickly implement a newly signed law to ease access to private health care providers. (6/27)
The Washington Post:
‘Failure Is Not An Option’: VA Nominee Robert Wilkie Told To Fix The Agency’s Morale Crisis
Senate lawmakers told Robert Wilkie on Wednesday that he will face a workforce beset by poor morale if he is confirmed to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, and that he must fix the problem if he is to stabilize the troubled agency. “Of all the challenges we have at VA, morale may be the biggest problem,” Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) told Wilkie during the 90-minute confirmation hearing, where the senior Pentagon official pledged to “shake up complacency” at the second-largest federal department and implement a health-care overhaul that would expand private care for veterans. (Rein, 6/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump’s VA Pick Stresses ‘Customer Service’
Robert Wilkie, who previously has been confirmed by the Senate for other posts, is considered likely to win approval following a largely courteous hearing, where he stressed the need to improve the way the VA treats veterans. “The prime directive is customer service,” he said. “When an American veteran comes to the VA it is not up to him to employ a team of lawyers to get VA to say, ‘Yes.’” Mr. Wilkie talked about his past, including his father, who he said was wounded as a military service member in Vietnam, instilling in Mr. Wilkie a respect for wounded veterans and the VA. (Kesling, 6/27)
The Hill:
VA Nominee Pledges To Oppose Privatization
President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday said he doesn't believe in privatizing the agency and pledged to oppose privatization efforts. "My commitment to you is I will oppose efforts to privatize," even if it runs counter to the White House agenda, Robert Wilkie told a Senate panel. Under questioning from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Wilkie said he would keep the VA "central" to the care of veterans, but indicated there can be a balance. (Weixel, 6/27)